


Break the Ice

by Nativestar



Series: Advent Calendar [3]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Fever, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mac has Magic, pre-Mac/Riley if you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27943577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nativestar/pseuds/Nativestar
Summary: Mac, Jack and Riley have just finished a successful op, but there's no time to celebrate when Mac develops a sudden fever.
Series: Advent Calendar [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035885
Comments: 29
Kudos: 41





	Break the Ice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anguishmacgyver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anguishmacgyver/gifts).



> Written for Whump Advent Calendar: (10th – 12th December) Ice and cold water
> 
> (No, you didn't miss prompt 3, it wasn't co-operating so I'm posting a little out of order now.)

Jack knew it was something magical, even before Riley confirmed it via Phoenix medical, it had happened too quick. Mac had been fine, just _fine,_ the night before. They’d been riding the high of a successful surveillance mission and planned to grab a few hours sleep in the motel before heading back home.

Jack didn’t know what had caused him to wake in the middle of the night, maybe Mac had cried out? Or maybe it was just instinct, his brain realising something had changed, either way he’d woken to find Mac was unresponsive and burning up with a high fever.

Golden light now rippled across Mac’s skin, as if his magic was burning him up from within. He was completely out of it, his head tossing on the pillow and occasionally mumbling words that Jack didn’t even think were English in between short, rapid breaths. Jack had raided the ice machine but improvised ice packs hadn’t even made a dent in the fever.

“Riley, honey. If you don’t come up with something in the next few minutes, I’m hauling his ass to an ER, magic be damned.”

Riley was currently on the phone to Phoenix medical who were taking their sweet time finding the magic specialist tonight. Jack wasn’t sure how much longer Mac could do this, they had no thermometer but Jack didn’t think he’d ever felt someone as hot as Mac was right now. He’d risk exposing Mac’s magic if it meant saving his life. Suddenly, Riley ended the call, throwing the phone onto the spare bed.

“Okay, we need to bring his temperature down as fast as we safely can otherwise we’re risking febrile seizures, they suggested we use the bath.” Riley quickly explained, “apparently, there are a lot of things that could cause this, they’re hoping once Mac cools down he’ll be coherent enough to give us some more information.”

Riley’s worried eyes met Jack’s and he nodded encouragingly to her even as his own heart sank. Mac was quiet now, his only movement the rise and fall of his chest. If they were relying on Mac to help them, then they were _really_ in trouble.

Riley quickly ran the water and when she called through to Jack that it was done he carried Mac through, ignoring how limp and pliant he was, and lowered him carefully into the water, pyjamas and all. Jack braced for a reaction when he hit the water, prepared for anything from a flinch to a fight but he got nothing. The water wasn’t as cold as he was expecting neither.

“Ri, this temperature is barely cold, how will this help?”

“We can’t just dump him in ice water, Jack. The shock could kill him. I’ll get some ice in a minute if it doesn’t help, we can slowly bring the temperature down.”

There was a moment of calm, and Mac’s magic shimmered over his body like waves beneath the water. Then Mac gasped, choking on air as if they’d been holding him under the water. Arms flailing, legs scrambling and water sloshing over the sides to soak Jack and Riley as he pushed himself up with surprising strength. He got halfway up before he slipped and would have smacked his head on the bath if not for Jack’s hands darting out to cushion his head. It stung but better a bruised hand than a head injury.

“Whoa! Mac! It’s okay! You’re okay, take it easy, bud.” Jack continued to cradle his head, squeezing his shoulder in reassurance with his other hand. Mac’s glassy eyes darted from side to side, but he relaxed and his hands dropped back into the water with a splash.

“You back with us, Mac?” Jack asked, but Mac didn’t answer, staring at some spot on the wall while his breathing settled back into something more steady.

“Mac? We’re trying to help you but we don’t know what’s wrong.” Riley explained. Mac rolled his head lazily towards Riley. At least something was getting through to him.

“Riles?” He asked.

“Yeah, Mac, its me.”

“You’re frowning.” He mumbled, as he frowned himself. “I don’t like it. Prefer you smiling. You’re beautiful when you’re happy.”

Riley smiled, trying not to show her disappointment, so much for Mac being aware and with them.

“Well, I’m happiest when you’re not sick, so do you know what’s wrong? How can we help?”

“I don’t feel good.” Mac confessed, this time speaking to Jack.

“I know, pal.” Jack replied, rubbing his thumb against Mac’s hair. “You’ve got a raging fever, its like, I dunno, like your magic is fighting against something inside you.”

Mac stared at him and Jack was starting to worry about how many braincells his fever had killed off when Mac muttered, “I had a magic fever once, someone hexed me.” His eyes slid closed again, unconscious or asleep Jack didn’t know this time.

Jack met Riley’s wide eyes. _A hex_. Jack actually knew a thing or two about hexes. Primarily that they usually involved a hex bag hidden somewhere near the victim.

“Swap with me.” Jack said urgently, and passed Mac over to Riley’s care as he tore out the bathroom and then tore up their room. Suitcases emptied, pillows shredded, draws pulled open and discarded. There was nothing to be found. Until he started pulling the coats off the hook by the door. And there in Mac’s pocket was a tiny hessian bag.

“I found it!” He shouted to Riley.

“Really? Great! Now what?” She shouted back.

But Jack already had his lighter out. He lit it and dumped it in the metal trash bin, watching to make sure it burnt completely. How could something so small wreck so much damage?

“Already done Riley. Burning it ends the hex. How’s Mac?” Jack asked as he brought the bin into the bathroom, hoping to avoid setting off any smoke detectors.

“About the same?” Riley shrugged as she brushed back his hair and held the back of her hand to his cheek.

Jack sighed.

“But his magic has stopped doing the glowy thing so… I think it worked?”

Jack stepped closer, sure enough there was no sign of Mac’s magic any more and he could be imagining it, but he thought Mac was breathing easier, he looked more like he was just sleeping now.

* * *

A few hours and another round of improvised ice packs later and they finally had Mac back in his bed, tucked up in blankets and sleeping off the last of the effects of the hex. Riley was out on a supply mission, promising to return with coffee and food, while Jack sat stretched out on top of the covers next to Mac.

Mac sighed gently and turned his head towards Jack.

“Mac?”

“Hmmm.”

“You with me, now?”

“Hmmm.”

Jack put his hand on Mac’s forehead, on the face of it to check his temperature but he then smoothed Mac’s hair back and when Mac pushed his head into Jack’s hand he continued running his fingers through his hair. He was spent, Mac was exhausted, both their defences were down and if they needed a little extra comfort, who was to judge? The trust Mac showed Jack when he was most vulnerable always brought out the side of Jack that felt less like a brother and more like a father.

“What happened?” Mac mumbled with his eyes shut.

“You got hexed, kid.”

“Oh. Don’ remember.” Mac opened his eyes and blinked. “Am I okay?”

“Yeah, you are now.” Jack replied with a smile. “The guy that did this to you won’t be, but you’re gonna be just fine.”

“’kay. Gonna sleep now.”

“Okay.”

“You sleep too.”

“I will.”

“Now?”

Jack chucked, even half asleep the kid was stubborn.

“Sure.”

He half expected another comeback but the fever had taken a lot out of Mac and he was already asleep again.

Two minutes later, and so was Jack.


End file.
